But Why a Labyrinth?
by MelodyWolfhart
Summary: Desperate to leave her sorrows behind, Sarah returns to the Underground and finds out the true reason for the Goblin King's Labyrinth. And this time, Sarah unwittingly saves what once was by revealing the dark deeds hidden by the Labyrinth.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I always forget to write these things. Anyway, I'm mainly new to the whole Labyrinth community and it seems that once you watch the movie, you just can't get it out of your mind. This is, of course, my first post, but I hoping to get time to make the next in a few days. I don't own anything in this story but what I've created. Please review to let me know what you think so far. Enjoy!**

But Why a Labyrinth?

by MelodyWolfhart

Sarah sat with her back against the wall. Her knees were pulled up to her chest as she stared out at nothing in particular.

Gone. They were all gone. It was amazing what one little argument could lead to. They had gone, leaving her here, and they would never return. They couldn't.

Sarah looked around what had once been her parent's bedroom, as tears rolled silently down her face. Downstairs were her Aunt and Uncle, for they did not want her to go through this by herself.

But what they did not know was that she would always be alone now. It had been four years since she realized how much she had loved her family. She had braved many perils just to take back a mistake she had made. And now, with one more mistake, she had watched her family walk out of the house and into the car that would take them away from her forever.

"Sarah! Where are you?" Called her Aunt from the stairway. Sarah's answer was caught in her throat as she looked over to the windows. She stood up from the spot where she was sitting, which happened to be where Toby's crib once stood, and walked over to look out.

Acting without thought, Sarah's hand laid on the latch and she soundlessly opened the window. Her mind took her to places that she did not want to venture as her feet took on a life of their own. She walked out onto the small balcony and stood against the railing, looking down at the driveway below.

How easy it could be to join her family.

Sarah sighed to herself knowing what she would do, and with little enthusiasm, said, "I wish the Goblin King would never have let me go."

She leaned precariously far over the railing as she heard a voice behind her. But it could not stop her. This was her only escape.

"You know, I never let you go, Sarah. You were the one who left me." Said a silky voice, stopping her desperate escape.

Sarah spun around so quickly that she almost lost her balance, but a gloved hand grasped her wrist and pulled her back into the house.

"Now, what were you doing out there?" The Goblin King asked with a smirk.

"Leave me alone. You have no business here." Sarah said through gritted teeth, but he paid no attention.

"I see you've grown since we've last met. Greatly improved, too." The Goblin King said, circling her casually with appraisal. When he was once again in front of her, he stopped and smiled.

"Well, thanks for you approval, _your highness_." Sarah said, and gave him a mocking bow. She did not want to put up with his sarcastic humor right now.

"Please, Jareth between old friends." Jareth said, extending his arms in a friendly matter. "But now onto the reason that I'm here."

"Yes, why are you here?" Sarah asked, suddenly noticing that her Aunt was no longer calling her.

"You called me of course. And I came to take you back to the Underground." Jareth said. He walked past her and when her eyes followed him, she saw his castle outside of the window. "Now, if you'd kindly step through the window, you can go home."

"Home? But I am home." Sarah stated.

"No, Sarah. Home is where your loved ones are." Jareth said, shaking his head at her as if she was a naive child. "All of your loved ones are gone from here."

"And why would I have reason to go with you?" Sarah asked, defiantly. She held back her tears as best as she could, for his words had struck her deep. He was right, her loved ones were really gone and she had no reason to stay.

"I thought you had friends in the Underground or did you forget them?" Asked Jareth with a stern smirk. She could hear him tisk her as he shook his head, disapprovingly.

"No, I never forgot them...I just...grew up." Sarah tried to explain. She felt awful with what she had said, but it was true. She had gone off to college and never looked back at her youth. She did not have time to dwell on those past fantasies. And then her eyes snapped up to him. "Wait, I imagined you. You're not real!"

"Ha! Is that what you've told yourself these past couple years? Do you really think you were that clever as a child?" Jareth countered her. "I assured you, Sarah, I am as real as you are."

"I must be going insane." Sarah said, grabbing her head and shaking it. She was looking down at the Goblin King's boots and noticed that he had tracked sand into the room. Could a figment of her imagination do that? Her eyes returned to him, and she said forcefully, "Prove to me that you're real."

"I will do no such thing." Jareth scoffed. "I will only give you this offer one more time. Either you stay here to wallow in your misery or you come with me. It's an easy decision."

"Easy? I could be just as miserable in the Underground as I am here." Sarah said.

"True." Jareth said, and then added for his own amusement, "But then you could always throw yourself out of a window in the Underground too, couldn't you?"

Sarah stared at him with disbelief at his bluntness. His offer was so tempting, yet so repelling. Could she really be happy in the same world as him?

"Well, I am going back to my castle. I've wasted enough time here." Jareth snapped, turning to the window, about to walk out of her life forever. "You can follow me, or not. Either way, I don't care."

Sarah stood, frozen as she watched him walk through the window to his own world. She could not let him leave her. She needed to be taken away from this cruel world that she had grown to hate.

With one breath, Sarah ran through the window, after Jareth and away from her former life.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Okay, I said the next post would be in a couple days, but I seem to have to patience. My fingers seem to itch with the anticipation of creating more than I can handle, so I might as well post. Have fun, and don't forget to review! It really helps. Thanks.**

Sarah felt her stomach lurch as she stepped into the Underground. She felt as if she had fallen a great height, but her feet were planted firmly on the ground. And upon looking around her, she realized that she was not outside of the Labyrinth. She stood in a courtyard in front of the Goblin King's castle and saw that Jareth was walking away from her.

"Wait!" Sarah yelled with panic. There was no reason for to be here, and her undefined future caught up with her. What was she to do?

Jareth turned to face her and a satisfied smirk spread across his lips. "Why, Sarah, I see that you've taken me up on my kind offer."

"Kind? When have you ever..." Sarah started, finding her old anger for him. But Jareth raised one hand and silenced her immediately.

"Don't." Jareth said, silencing any protest that Sarah had. "Follow me."

And without another word, Jareth led Sarah into his castle. At once, she was repulsed by the sight of filth left by the goblins and had to make much effort to dodge the rubbish. Jareth, on the other hand, seemed not to be phased by any of this. He led her into his throne room, and finally stopped to look at her.

No goblins were present, but their traces were still visible. Sarah looked around and sighed. She chose this world over her old one? And then, a horrible thought came to her. She looked at Jareth with horror in her eyes and asked, "You're not going to turn me into a goblin, are you?"

Her fear was answered with a cynical laughter that echoed in the room. Jareth caught his breath and replied, "Now why would I do a thing like that? It would be a shame to change you from your present form."

Sarah tried not to look at him. This was a terrible mistake, and she should have seen what his offer had ultimately meant. She voiced her mixed feelings by saying, "Why did I come here?"

Jareth did not answer her question, but instead, put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Why don't I show you to your chambers?"

"What?" Sarah asked, her terror rising in her throat like bile. "I'm supposed to live in your castle?"

"Why, yes." Jareth replied without a glance at her. He forced her to walk alongside him and continued, "You don't think I would let you live out in the Goblin City, would you? That's no place for a girl like you."

"If you didn't notice, I'm not a little girl anymore." Sarah stated, wishing that she could have taken her words back as soon as they left her mouth.

"Of course I noticed. Do you really think that I'm blind?" Jareth asked with a laugh, never letting his arm leave her shoulder. "Now, I want you to be happy in your new home." Jareth said, stopping them both in front of a set of doors.

"My new home?" Sarah said, tasting the words in her mouth, and hating every one of them.

"Yes, your home. And this is where you'll be staying." Jareth said as he pushed open the doors. To Sarah's surprise and horror, she recognized the room that he pushed her into. Jareth took joy in her reaction and asked sarcastically, "Do you like it?"

The room resembled Sarah's bedroom from four years ago. Every detail was the same, even down to the last stuffed animal. Pain swept over Sarah as she was so rudely pushed back into her old life. But this pain was quickly washed over by a searing anger. "Why do you do this to me? Why are you so cruel!"

"You don't like it?" Jareth asked, laughing with his small victory. "I thought you would. I mean, here are all of your dreams. This is all that you ever wanted."

"I don't want it anymore." Sarah said.

"But you have it now, and what done, is done." Jareth said, walking back to the doors. Before he shut them behind himself, he added, "All of this has been done for you. You would do well to remember that."

When he closed the doors, Sarah picked up the closest object to her and threw it with all of her might. It was her old music box with the woman in white, and it broke into pieces as it hit the solid wood of the door. Tears streamed down her face as the shadows of her past closed in on her from every corner of the room. There was no way that she could live in there without suffocating.

She need to destroy it all. A rage so fierce had come over her, and she broke everything she laid her hands on. Insanity took over as she hurdled stuffed animals and costumes out of the window. Why would he be so cruel to remind her of all this?

Sarah's rampage was only stemmed when a picture of her family slid out from a book she was about to toss. She fell to her knees and cried over those lost to her. Her heart felt as if a dagger had stabbed it and then been turned. There was no hope. She could not be happy here or in her old life. She looked up at the window and thought of Jareth's words. She could jump here too.

Thoughts of her friend came swimming into her mind, though, and Sarah knew that she could not bring herself to end it before seeing them again. Last resort, that was all it could be.

Sarah could never have believed that she would think such thoughts four years ago, but she was older now, and circumstances weren't the same anymore. Exhaustion swept over her body, and she knew sleep would come soon. So, throwing the rest of her old junk out of the window, Sarah curled up on the old bed and feel asleep immediately.

But her night was not a restful one. For nightmares of all sorts assaulted her mind. Indistinguishable nightmares of the past, and of what would come to her in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I decided that I needed to do something to cheer me up, so I made another post. Yay! This chapter is a bit on the short side, but the next one is a little longer. Sometimes it doesn't seem right to cram a lot of information into one very large post, so I'm just giving a bit here and there. Hope you enjoy this next installment. And please, don't forget to review.**

Sarah opened her eyes to the rising sun. She had slept solidly causing her to be disoriented as she sat up. And when she looked around the room, a scream rose in her throat. It couldn't be! Everything that she had thrown out the night before was back in it's place. The room was spotless, just like it had been when she first entered.

She could not stop her screams as her mind tried to split from reality. Sarah turned around in her bed and buried her head in the pillow laying there. She was losing all that she had been able to hang onto, and she knew that Jareth was laughing at her. She could hear it now, even with the goose-down surrounding her head. It was almost like he was standing beside her bed. And if fact, he was.

"Sarah, stop that infernal screaming at once." Jareth scolded. Sarah sat up in the bed with quite a rush. She held the pillow in front of her body, almost as a shield, and stared unbelievingly at him. Her mouth snapped shut by his sudden arrival, and he seemed pleased by this. "Now isn't that better? Why all the shouting, little one?"

His condescending tone loosened her tongue, and she replied, "Why do you enjoy reminding me of what I lost? I am not a little girl anymore!"

"You surely have the temper of one." Jareth chided, and then asked her, "How have I reminded you of your _miserable_ past?"

"The room..." Sarah said, and trailed off. She looked around the room again, and it was not the same. In the few seconds that she had hid her head in the pillow, all of her childhood memories had disappeared and been replaced. "What have you done?"

"I've only done what you wanted. Does this not suit you now?" Jareth asked, raising his hands to refer to the new decor. "I told you before, Sarah, I am generous."

Sarah wanted to give a sharp comment back, but she could not. The room was perfect for her, and for once, she felt at home. The room was filled with a stately elegance, but at the same time showed simplicity. Jareth could never had devised this on his own.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Sarah asked, staring at her new surroundings.

"Oh, come on. You know the answer to that one. It is because you wish it." Jareth said, leaving the side of her bed and walking towards the doors. "You would do yourself good to clean up and get changed out of those ridiculous clothes. Breakfast will be served when you come down to the banquet hall."

"But what..." Sarah started, questions trying to jump out of her mouth at the same time, but luckily, Jareth answered all of them in a few simple words.

"Everything is here, Sarah. If you wanted it, you have it. Simple as that. Now, don't make me wait forever." Jareth said, and left Sarah's room. She slipped out of her bed cautiously, and inspected the room closer.

It was larger than last night, and now there was an adjoining bath to the room. Sarah sighed as she drew herself a warm bath. If she was going to be stuck here, she might as well get used to her surroundings.

After her bath, Sarah found a dressing robe that fit her perfectly, laying on a chair beside the bath. She did not remember it being there before, but she used it gratefully. Walking back into her room, she found that her old clothes were missing. Her favorite pair of jeans and shirt were nowhere to be found.

This was Jareth's doing, Sarah thought. She sighed and headed for what she assumed to be her new closet, and when she opened the door, she caught her breath. The closet was lined with decadent clothing. Sarah pushed the hangers aside and search through them all, only realizing when she met the end of the bar that they were all dresses. Jareth's doing again?

Shoving the thought from her mind, she picked out the simplest dress she could find and quickly slipped into it. Sarah leaned down to inspect the bottom of the closet for a pair of shoes when a voice startled her from behind.

"Lookin for these?" Asked a squeaky voice. Sarah spun around and fell to the ground from her crouched position. A goblin stood behind her, and offering a pair of shoes to her.

"Yes...yes, I was." Sarah said, gulping from her fright. The goblin laughed and tossed the shoes at her.

"The Goblin King is waiting!" The goblin announced. "Follow me!"

The goblin gave the orders with such emphasis that Sarah could not help but to laugh. She slid on the shoes, and ventured after the little creature. When she stepped foot outside of her room, the impact of where she was hit her again. The hallway made her room seem like a paradise, and Sarah's earlier cheer vanished as she made her way to the Banquet Hall, and Jareth.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Well, here is the next post as promised. It's a bit longer than the last one and I hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to review, it doesn't take long and it surely brightens my day!**

The goblin led Sarah through the dilapidated castle towards the Banquet hall. When they arrived, Jareth was sitting at the end of a long table, set with mounds of food. Sarah felt her stomach yearn for food, but suppressed the urge to dive right in.

Jareth motioned impatiently for her to sit at the table, and she obliged. She took her share of food and waited for the Goblin King to speak to her, but he seemed preoccupied with something else.

His rudeness did not phase her, for she rather liked the silence after her rampage last night. If this was what life would be like for her for now on, Sarah did not think she would mind. Jareth could be maniacal at times, but he did not seem to want to cause her pain. Well, at least not physical pain.

Sarah finished her breakfast, and gasped as she noticed that Jareth was now standing at her elbow. His frequent popping up without a sound would take some getting used to, but she would have to manage.

"Finished? Good." Jareth said, not waiting for her reply. He grasped her by the elbow and lead her out of the hall. "I figured that you should have a proper tour of the castle."

He had led her back to the throne room and he called out to a nearby goblin to assist him. The goblin was given quick orders to show her around, and Sarah dared to ask, "Aren't you going to show me yourself?"

"Me?" Jareth asked with laughter. "My Sarah, I'm far to busy to deal with simple matters such as a tour. Now off you go."

Jareth's condescending tone annoyed her, but she followed the goblin away from him. If he was always going to treat her like that, then it would be better for her to stay far away.

* * *

Sarah's tour of the castle had been time consuming, but not at all as interesting as she had hoped. But now that she was back in her room, she felt at ease. This place could truly be her home. It was what laid behind her door that she could never live in. She had come to terms with the fact that she would never feel comfortable in Jareth's domain. 

Night had fallen quickly, and Sarah wondered if time in the Underground was different from what she had thought. Standing in front of her mirrored vanity, Sarah brushed her hair as her mind went over everything she had seen that day. She had been worried all along that Jareth would be a tyrant with her, but she had not seen him since breakfast. She had skipped lunch, and dinner had been brought to her chambers by several goblins.

All in all, this did not seem like a bad arrangement. Her life would indeed be livable here.

"How did you enjoy my castle, Sarah?" Jareth's voice asked from behind her. Sarah did not see his reflection in the mirror and she dropped her brush as she turned to face him. Her heart pounded uncontrollably as she saw him standing in front of her. His eyes seemed to appraise her, and she was conscious of thin shift she was wearing for bed.

Sarah's hand found her dressing robe, and she slid it on as quickly as possible while Jareth laughed. "Did I frighten you?"

"Have you ever hear of knocking?" Sarah asked with a huff.

"Knocking? In my own castle?" Jareth asked with disbelief. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Well..." Sarah started. She gulped from his imposing stare and tried again, "What do you want?"

She inwardly kicked herself for uttering these words, for one of Jareth's eyebrows rose and a smirk formed on his lips. But his answer was not one that she imagined, "I was curious, did you look out at the night sky?"

"What? Why would I?" Sarah asked, caught off guard by his question.

"Come with me and look out at the sky." Jareth said, leading her to a balcony that did not exist the night before. He took her out and pointed up to the sky, and Sarah's breath escaped her. The stars formed no constellations that she would have been familiar with, but she knew the image still. An outline of her face was drawn by stars in the celestial heavens above. Jareth leaned in close to her and whispered into her ear, "See what I have done?"

"You did this...for me?" Sarah asked, one hand clasping her robe closed in front of her to shield her from the wind.

"Sarah, I move the stars for no one." Jareth said with a hint of annoyance, and then asked, "Have I lived up to your expectations yet?"

"Expectations? I have none for you." Sarah said, telling him the truth. He did not bother to listen to her reply, but instead continued with his line of thought.

"I gave you an offer back when you first came to the Labyrinth, remember?" Jareth asked, not waiting for her reply. "All I asked was for you to fear me, love me, do as I say and I would be your slave."

"I remember." Sarah said, looking out at the Labyrinth which surrounded the castle.

"And your reply is?" Jareth prodded. Sarah knew what he wanted to hear, and she was ready to answer. But her answer was stopped when she realized something.

"Wait." Sarah said, shaking her head and then looking him in the eye. "Isn't that oxymoronic?"

"What are you talking about?" Jareth asked with impatience. "Just answer the question."

"I can't. How can you be my slave if _I_ am the one that has to do what _you_ say?" Sarah asked.

"I grow tired with your meaningless questions." Jareth said, walking back into her chambers and ignoring her point completely.

"You can't answer, can you?" Sarah asked, following him. "You're my creation, and if I don't give you the answer, you don't know it."

"Oh, come on, Sarah. We've been through this before." Jareth said sitting down in one of the chairs in the room and throwing his leg over the arm. "You didn't imagine me."

"Then how do you explain the fact that everything in the Labyrinth is a creation of my imagination?" Sarah countered, believing to have won the argument.

"What makes you think that your _imagination_ made up the Labyrinth?" Jareth asked with mock. "How could you possibly come up with the idea of me?"

"I had a dream when I was younger of this place. I remember it so vividly." Sarah said, remembering the first night she had had that recurring dream.

"No you didn't." Jareth said with scorn. "Haven't you ever heard that dreams are a window into a different world? I'm real enough, and you can't take credit for creating me."

Sarah stood for a moment with her mouth hanging open. Could he be telling the truth? Was everything that happened in the Underground out of her hands?

"I want to go back." Sarah finally said.

"Go back? Where?" Jareth asked. Sarah stepped up closer to him and showed that her resolve was firm.

"I want to go back home." Sarah stated.

"You can't. This is your home now." Jareth said, getting up out of the chair quickly. He left her chambers in a hurry, but not without leaving her with the words, "You can only exist in the Underground now, you made sure to that."

The door slammed shut, and Sarah was left alone to puzzle his parting words.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Well, another chapter up. Sorry, this one is a bit short since conflicts with a professor through an online course has made me stay away from my computer. The rest of the chapters will be longer though. So, read, enjoy, and please review. Oh, and thanks for sticking around with me!**

Sarah awoke to the sound of goblins. They had laid out her breakfast on a small table in the corner, and left promptly. She slid out of her bed and grabbed her robe.

"Jareth must have gotten bored with me already." Sarah said as she sat down to have a peaceful breakfast by herself. As she ate, she pondered about what she would do for the rest of the day. While she liked her chambers, she had nothing to keep her busy here. Actually, she had never had much of a hobby except for acting, and that seemed out of place now.

A picture of her friends popped into her mind and Sarah knew what she could do. Her anticipation was overwhelming and her breakfast was finished quickly. After that was taken care of, Sarah washed up and walked over to her closet.

While riffling through the hanging dresses, Sarah found a surprise. Her jeans were hanging with the shirt that she had been wearing two days ago. A smile crossed her lips, knowing that she had won that battle. But even though her jeans were readily available, she picked out a simple dress and slipped into it.

After fetching a pair of shoes, Sarah faced her fear, and left her room. The castle gave her a disquiet feeling, but she had to find Jareth. She found her way to the throne room easily from when she was, and in no time, she could hear the sound of goblins.

Sarah's entrance into the throne room was unnoticed until she let out a gasp. Jareth sat in his throne, one leg slung over the arm, with a child in his lap. He looked up at her and smiled. "Why, hello, Sarah. Come to join me?"

"Where did you get that child?" Sarah asked, approaching the throne with rage.

"Oh, this?" Jareth asked, lifting the baby up to show her. "Well, it turns out, some nasty little boy wished away his brother. Horrible thing, eh?"

"How could you?" Sarah asked, astonished that he would keep this way of life up.

"Oh, come Sarah!" Jareth scolded. "Do you really believe that I do this because I want to? This is my duty."

"If you don't like it, then stop." Sarah retorted.

"Well, when you put it that way, maybe I do enjoy this." Jareth laughed, and tossed the baby to a goblin. He laughed when Sarah gasped at his handling of the child and rose from his throne. "Now, what brings you here? I thought you'd be playing with your costumes or something."

"You know very well that I got rid of them." Sarah stated. He did not acknowledge her words as he approached her, so she decided to continue. "I wanted to see my friends."

"If you wanted to see your friends, then why did you come to me?" Jareth said with some disdain.

"Well, I was...I just..." Sarah stuttered at his obvious question.

"You were what? Asking for my permission?" Jareth scoffed at her. "Now I thought you didn't want to live under my rule."

"I don't." Sarah stated, trying to fix what she had done. "I mean, I just wanted to know where they were."

"And why would I know that?" Jareth asked sarcastically. "I don't keep tabs on everyone in the Underground."

"But you have your crystals. You watched every one of my moves when I was in the Labyrinth!" Sarah said, exasperated with his lackadaisical manner.

"Yes, Sarah, but I _wanted_ to know what happened to you. You were quite interesting to watch." Jareth replied with a smile. Sarah knew that she would not get any farther with him on this subject, so she turned to leave. "Wait, Sarah."

Sarah turned around and saw the Goblin King throw her a crystal. She caught it easily in her outstretched hands and looked up at Jareth with confusion and distrust. "What is this for?"

"It's a present." Jareth said, returning to his throne. "You may take that crystal and use it to find your _friends_. It will show you through the Labyrinth."

"Really?" Sarah asked, surprised but his sudden bout of kindness. "Thank you, Jareth."

"You're welcome." Jareth replied, as he rolled his eyes and slouched in his throne. "But be sure to come back to my castle before nightfall."

"Why before nightfall?" Sarah asked, curious of his only rule. She was not soothed by the malicious twinkle in Jareth's mismatched eyes as he answered her.

"Because, Sarah," Jareth said through a twisted smirk, "You don't want to be in the Labyrinth when it gets dark."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hello again! Well, here's anotherChapter (I almost forgot to post it due to sleep deprivation). Please, read, enjoy, and review. And as always, thanks for sticking with me and my fanfic!**

Sarah left the castle as fast as her feet could find the exit. Jareth's crystal shone in her hand, and she wondered about his generosity again. His constant moods swings reminded her of a spoiled little child and that was beginning to wear on her. And to think, she had only been in the Underground for a couple days.

She shook these thoughts out of her head and focused on the task before her. Walking through the goblin city was an uncomfortable experience. Goblins watched her progress without discretion and made the short walk to the city walls seem to last for an eternity.

Once at the city walls, no guard made to stop her, and she simply left. Outside of the city was a vast area reminiscent of a junk yard. Sarah remembered the episode she had experienced here and did not trust the moving piles of garbage in front of her. The magnitude of the area she stood in brought to her mind the futility of her quest. How could she possibly find her friends in the Labyrinth?

"I wish I could find my friends." Sarah said with a sigh. She looked down at the crystal and jumped as it popped out of her hands. This must be some joke of Jareth's.

Sarah ran after the crystal as it rolled through the mounds of garbage, desperate to retrieve it. She did not lose sight of it even in the mist of the debris, and gradually, that debris started to thin out. Shrubs and the random placement of trees sprouting up indicating that Sarah was almost out of the trash city. But she was no closer to the crystal, and her breath was becoming short.

"Slow down, won't you?" Sarah cried, after the crystal. It bounced over exposed roots and up the path that she had once taken. But to Sarah's relief, it did slow to a crawl.

Finally, with a huff of breath, Sarah was able to bend over and pick it up. The crystal resisted being halted, but her grip would not let it escape. Looking inside the crystal, Sarah gasped. There was a clear picture of Sir Didymus and Lodu staring back at her. From what she could see, it looked as if they were in the Bog of Eternal Stench.

After catching her breath, she hesitantly set the crystal back on the ground. It shot off immediately, and Sarah followed its slower walking pace. Was it really taking her to her friends?

This question was answered shortly by an appalling smell. Sarah soon found herself directed to an all too familiar area. The Bog of Eternal Stench grew out before her and she reluctantly followed the crystal up to the edge of the putrid green water. The bridge that had given out from under her four years ago had not been fixed. Instead, it was obvious that the rocks Ludo had summoned for her were now dubbed to be the new bridge.

Sarah leaned over and scooped up the now docile crystal, pocketing it. Then she made her way carefully across the stepping stones to the other side. She looked around, but could not find her friends.

Exasperated by the unwanted outcome of her journey, Sarah turned back to the stepping stones, ready to give up. This is what she got for believing anything that Jareth said. She went to put one foot on the rock before her, and was stopped by a sudden yelling.

"Stop! Stop I say!" came a familiar voice behind her. Sarah spun around and was confronted by Sir Didymus. He continued on, though, unaware at first of who she was. "Without my permission, no one may cross this bridge! I...Sarah?"

"Sir Didymus!" Sarah exclaimed, relieved that he had recognized her. She had feared that he would not remember her face, nor her name. Sarah bent down and embraced her dear friend until his gasped for air.

"My lady, please! I can not stand this much longer." Sir Didymus said, but Sarah could hear the happiness in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Sir Didymus, I'm just so happy to see you again." Sarah said, letting him go so that he could recover.

"As am I." Didymus replied. He eyed her quickly and spotted something different about her. She was not the child he had first met, and he did not like what adulthood had done to her. And with suspicion he asked,"Why did you return to the Labyrinth, My Lady?"

"I...I don't know." Sarah fumbled, shaking her head and looking away from Didymus. "I thought I knew, but now I'm not sure."

"Does this have anything to do with yonder Goblin King?" Didymus asked, hitting the spot exactly. "Did he force you to this?"

"I don't know. I thought that this was right, but how could it be?" Sarah asked, tears coming to her eyes. Didymus saw the state that she was in, and comforted her.

"Say no more, My Lady. What done, is done." Didymus said, returning to her embrace. Sarah heard Jareth's words echoed in his sediments and shivered. "What troubles you now?"

"I left Jareth's castle in search for my friends, and I find out that Jareth is everywhere." Sarah said, nonsensically. Didymus understood her words though. He motioned for her to sit at the bottom of the old bridge.

"Dear Sarah, thou may think that Jareth doth lay everywhere within his Labyrinth, but it is not true." Didymus said, sitting next to her. "He does not lie here."

"How can that be?" Sarah asked, watching her feet. "He owns everything within the Labyrinth."

"Yes, My Lady. But just because he sits in that throne, it does not mean that he can change everything that once was." Didymus said, and seeing Sarah's confusion, continued. "You must have wondered once why I could not smell this bog as you do."

"Of course." Sarah said, aware that she had been doing a good job of blocking most of the smell from her mind. "It's terrible, but I assumed that you got used to it."

"I did no such thing." Didymus said, and then smiled. He looked out over the swampy bog and sighed. "These lands were once a beautiful field filled with the most fragrant of flowers and the most happy of wildlife. The ruin you see before you happened long after I took my oath."

"Didymus, who did you take you oath from?" Sarah asked. This question should have been obvious the first time she had been here, but it did not seem important at the time. But now it did. "You couldn't have taken it from Jareth."

"You are correct, My Lady." Didymus said with a smile. "I took my sacred oath from a man that must not be named. And I continue to uphold that oath to this day. That is why I smell what once was, and not what is."

"So you're saying that you're still protecting the bridge that lay in that field of flowers and not the one in this bog." Sarah repeated, trying to make sense of his reasoning.

"That is one way of thinking of it." Didymus said, nodding with approval.

"And Jareth made this bog?" Sarah asked to put the pieces together.

"Yes he did. This, along with everything else in the Labyrinth is of his creation." Didymus answered with reassurance.

"Why would he do such a thing?" Sarah asked. She was not awaiting an answer, but Didymus obliged her.

"Do what, My Lady? Turn beauty into degradation, or build this Labyrinth?" Didymus asked, ready to reply as best he could.

"Why did he build the Labyrinth?" Sarah asked quickly. She had wanted to know this for some time, but never thought the answer could be so easily obtained.

"Obviously to keep people from conquering yonder Goblin City, as thou once did." Didymus replied. Sarah was disappointed by his obvious answer.

"But why a Labyrinth?" Sarah asked, not particularly to Didymus.

"Now that, My Lady, can not be answered by me." Didymus said. "That question is for one of two people, either the one who created the Labyrinth, or the one whom it keeps out."

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked with frustration.

"Let us speak no more of it." Didymus said with finality. "Do you not want to see Sir Ludo?"

"Oh, of course! I'd love to see Ludo." Sarah said. She knew that there was more that she needed to know, but she could not turn down a chance to see her large furry friend.

"Then we shall leave at once. Sir Ludo lives just yonder, past the bog's stench. We shall be there in no time." Didymus said with enthusiasm. He turned away from Sarah and called, "Ambrosius, come at once! There is a journey afoot!"


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hello again. Crazy stuff happening,but I didn't want to wait long with this. Anyway, I just want to thank all of you who have reviewed and given suggestions and great comments. I do take them to heart (even if I still slip up on grammar, sorry). Well, you know the drill. Please read, enjoy, and review!**

Sir Didymus led Sarah through woods that she had never seen before since, as she recalled, a suspicious trap door had dropped her into the bog during her first trip. But the path that she was led down was as pleasant as she could have hoped for.

The sudden dissipation of the horrible smell gave Sarah indication that Ludo's home would not be far off. And, of course, her assumption was right. The woods gave way to a little clearing, and in the middle of this clearing stood a wooden table made from an old stump. Beyond that was a sturdy hut. A smile crossed over her face as she imagined Ludo's new life style. She had never taken into account what Ludo's previous life was like, but seeing this display, she could only hope that it had turned out better for him.

"Sir Ludo!" Sir Didymus called out from on top of his steed. "It is I, Sir Didymus! And I have brought with me the Lady of the Labyrinth!"

"What did you call me?" Sarah asked, caught up on the wording that he had used. "Where did you get that from?"

"Most creatures from the Labyrinth have come to call you that." Didymus explained quickly. "You were the only one to have escaped this place. Well...at least you were."

"Could you stop talking in riddles?" Sarah asked, a little annoyed. She was not sure if Didymus intended to answer her, but any chance he had was cut off by Ludo's appearance. He had a pile of wood in his huge arms and upon seeing Sarah, Ludo dropped it all.

"Sarwah?" Ludo asked, looking at her as if she was only a dream. Sure that she was real, Ludo lumbered over to her with his arms outstretched, "Friend!"

"Yes, Ludo. Sarah, friend." Sarah said, laughing as her friend embraced her in his furry warmth. She felt tears prick her eyes as she remembered their brief friendship. It hurt her knowing how easily she gave them up, yet they continued to care for her. "I came back, Ludo."

"Ludo miss Sarwah." Ludo stated, his voice high above her head. Sarah could hear the pain she had caused him, but knew he would forgive her. "Sarwah don't go again."

"No, Ludo." Sarah replied, stroking his fur and feeling the tears roll freely down her face. "I'm not leaving again. I'm here to stay."

"Yes, it is true, Sir Ludo." Didymus said, stepping in to fully explain things. "Sarah is living in the Goblin King's castle."

"No, Sarwah!" Ludo said, pushing away from Sarah's embrace to look at her. "Sarwah live here with Ludo!"

"I can't. I wish I could, but I know Jareth wouldn't allow it." Sarah tried to explain, not fully understanding why things had to be that way either. "He was kind enough to let me find you both, but I don't want to push his..._generousity_."

"Ludo will understand." Didymus said, motioning for them all to sit around the stump table. He called for Ambrosius and promptly removed a parcel from his steed's side. "I was just about to leave my post to have dinner with Sir Ludo. Since I always bring too much, we will have plenty to share."

Sarah took the parcel from Didymus and quickly set up the table. They were eating and laughing about their previous adventure in no time at all. But through all the mirth, Sarah missed her one other friend.

"So, do you know where Hoggle is?" Sarah asked, feeling that her nonchalant manner did not fool her companions.

"He returned to his post outside of the Labyrinth." Didymus said, taking another bite from his food. "I would have suggested that we go seek him out, but it would be more than a day's journey there and back."

Sarah nodded, understanding that her curfew would come in conflict, but she still wanted to see him. "I guess if I start out early tomorrow, I'll have enough time. Would you two want to come?"

"We would love to, My Lady, but I must not leave my post for long and Sir Ludo...well it would be best for us both to not anger the Goblin King any more than we have in the past." Didymus said. Sarah agreed with him, knowing that she could never wish her dear friends to be in any danger because of her. "And I do believe that if you want to return safely to the castle before nightfall, you should soon be on your way."

Sarah agreed, but stayed long enough to clean up their meal and give her farewells. She promised to return to them as soon as she could, and pulled out her crystal. This time, knowing the drill, Sarah dropped it and let it take her back to the goblin city.

* * *

Sarah made it to the courtyard of the castle just as the sun was setting on her wonderful day. She ascended the stairs and the doors opened for her. Standing in the foyer was Jareth, looking at her with curiosity. 

"Well, Sarah? There you are." Jareth said with amusement.

"Hello Jareth." Sarah replied without enthusiasm. "Where is the child?"

"What child?" Jareth started, and then shook his head. "Oh, I know what you mean. His brother failed miserably and now the babe is a goblin...Such a pity."

"I can't believe you." Sarah said, looking away from his smiling face.

"Oh, but you have no reason not to believe me. Did you find your friends?" Jareth asked with his usually smug smirk.

"Yes I did, as a matter of fact." Sarah said, walking past him with the intention of fleeing to her chambers. She had enjoyed her day and did not want him to intrude upon it. But he followed her quickened step with ease.

"And are they still your friends?" Jareth continued, taking joy in her futile escape.

"Of course they are." Sarah said, turning to face her Goblin King. "Some things, like friendship, remain constant."

"Really? And what else, may I ask, remains constant?" Jareth asked.

"My dislike of you." Sarah stated. They had reached her chambers by now, and as Sarah opened one of the doors, Jareth placed his hand on it and shut it.

"What strong words you use. But you forget, you are the one who called out to me." Jareth said, loosing his playful tone. "You asked for me, and I graciously brought you back."

"Sometimes, I wonder how generous you really are." Sarah said, opening the other door. She walked into her rooms and closed the door on Jareth. She sighed as she took in the solitude of room, but this moment was quickly shattered.

"I am very generous, Sarah." Jareth said from behind her. Sarah spun around and saw Jareth sitting on her bed. His amused smile was back on his face from her shocked display. "I gave you a life when you let your other one slip away."

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked, angry with his constant intrusion. She walked over to her vanity and pulled out the pins holding up her hair.

"I thought you were more clever than that. Or maybe you've grown up too much." Jareth said with a laugh.

"Why didn't you just let me jump?" Sarah asked with irritation.

"Oh, but I did, Sarah." Jareth replied, mockingly. "How do you think you got back to the Underground?"

"What?" Sarah asked, some of her strength leaving her legs. She steadied herself on the vanity chair and awaited his explanation.

"You were too old to wish yourself back here, but there was one other way. By jumping out of your world, you jumped right into mine." Jareth explained. Sarah collapsed into her chair and stared at him through the mirror. "You see, that is why I told you that you could only exist in the Underground now."

Jareth stood up from the bed and approached her. Thoughts raced through Sarah's mind as he came closer and the only words her mouth could make were, "You monster."

"Me? If it wasn't for my generosity, you would have just jumped and died. I gave you another life." Jareth said. He now stood by Sarah's side, and to add to her shock, he said, "It was quite funny to see your Aunt's face as you fell from your parents' window, though."

Sarah could not hold in her anger any more. She turned, ready to slap Jareth, but he was quicker. He caught her arm with ease and smiled. Sarah pulled her arm away from him and said, "You've taken everything away from me."

"Well, not everything..." Jareth said, tracing one gloved finger along the line of her jawbone. Sarah shuddered and turned away from him. She watched from her mirror as he walked away from her side and towards the door. A sigh of relief escaped her lips while he opened a door, ready to leave, but he turned back to her. "I give you everything, and I ask for so little."

"Good night, Jareth." Sarah said in an unsteady voice, not turning to face him. Jareth smiled at her discomfort.

"Good night, Sarah. Sleep well." Jareth said, leaving her chambers.

In her solitude, Sarah looked at her reflection in the mirror, questions blurring the image that she saw. Could she believe what Jareth had said? Did she really jump?

But these questions were secondary to her. Her priority was to answer one complicated question.

What had she gotten herself into?


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Okay, I needed to take some time off to sort out my ideas, but now I'm back. Just a bit of a warning, I'm adding a new character here, but this fic is not going to be a SxOC, and if fact this really isn't a SxJ. I don't know what you'd classify it as, but if you stay with me for a few more posts, you can tell me for yourself. So, you know the drill. Please, read, enjoy, and review!**

The next morning, Sarah woke very early. The goblins had not arrived with her breakfast yet, but she was not hungry. Her night had been rough and her sleep tormented by unanswered questions. But she pushed these thoughts away from her mind as she readied herself for the day's journey.

Sarah washed up, and then turned to her closet. She had made up her mind that since her journey was to be longer that day, she would wear her jeans and t-shirt. But when she was dressed, she did not feel comfortable like she used to. To set her mind at ease, she searched for a dress and found one reminiscent of her old costumes. She shrugged as she slid the dress over what she was already wearing and looked in the mirror.

The image reflected back at Sarah made her shiver. She looked just like when she was younger, before the Labyrinth had come into her life. But her face was different, for she had seen and learned much since then. Sarah's heart ached for the days of her youth. Her family was ever present on her mind, and tears pricked her eyes.

The family she had known might not have been perfect, but they loved her. They loved her more than Jareth would ever pretend to. But she shook her head at these thoughts. Hoggle lay at the outskirts of the Labyrinth, and she needed to seek him out.

Sarah made it out of the castle, seemingly without Jareth's knowing. She assumed that he was not much of an early riser, and was grateful for his absence. Her life had easily adapted to her constant struggle to avoid him and Sarah smiled as she mused over this. The goblins did not bother her today, for most seemed still asleep, and those awake took no notice of her. It seemed that her novelty had worn off, and once outside of the city's walls, Sarah retrieved her crystal.

Her crystal. How easily she had accepted Jareth's gift this time. But that line of thinking could only cause her more grief, so Sarah ignored it. She let the crystal jump from her outstretched hand. It raced through the rubbish filled outskirts and Sarah lifted her skirt to her waist, exposing her jeans as she ran after the little orb.

Laughter escaped her lips unexpectantly as she let the wind whip back her hair. Her mind was clear, and the only goal in sight was to catch up with the racing orb. This was just like playing a game as a kid again.

Sarah's run ended shortly after it started, for she had lost her breath quickly, and now she followed the crystal at a brisk walking pace. She had pulled her dress off after a few minutes into the journey, and had tied it around her waist. It's billowing skirt was too much to bother with as she attempted to keep track of the crystal. This time, the crystal had taken her through parts of the Labyrinth she had never ventured in before, but Sarah did not pay attention to what she passed. From past experience, she knew that it was futile. The Labyrinth changed at will, and her only sure way through it was Jareth's help.

After what seemed like hours of walking, Sarah found herself in the long passageway that she had first stepped foot in after meeting Hoggle by the Labyrinth's doors. This was the place that she had met that polite worm, and she smiled with the memory. She could feel that the doors to the Labyrinth were close, and she knew that beyond them lay Hoggle.

Impatience took over, and Sarah trotted the rest of the way down the long corridor. The doors had to be close! And they were.

The crystal pulled to a stop in front of the two massive doors, and as Sarah followed suit with the orb, they slowly opened with a long and low creak. While her passage was now unblocked, the crystal didn't move. She looked down at the it and frowned.

Sarah picked it up, and walked outside of the Labyrinth, looking into the crystal. It appeared to be clear glass, nothing magical about it. Sarah turned back, looking at the Labyrinth and said, "It must not work outside it's walls."

Crystal still in hand, she walked through the dying landscape in search of Hoggle. She did not come upon him, but instead, found the spot where she had first met the little guy. The slightly raised pond looked just like she remembered, and stepping up to look down into it, Sarah realized that the only thing that had changed in this world was herself. Even Jareth looked no different from the last time she had seen him. While studying these reflections, Sarah did not hear the footsteps approaching her.

"My Lady..." A chillingly familiar voice started. Sarah jumped at the intrusion of her silence, and the crystal slid from her hand, into the pond. She turned around with a gasp and saw a man standing behind her. He was a tall, thin man, but there was a sense of authority to him. And his chivalry clearly spoke through, "I'm sorry if I startled you."

"Who are you?" Sarah asked, and then shook her head. "Nevermind. I need to get my crystal."

She turned from the man and looked into the pond, trying to figure out what to do. The man's voice continued on, though, as if he had her full attention, "You're crystal? How did you acquire such a thing?"

"Well...It's not mine." Sarah said absently as she untied the dress from her waist and laid it next to the pond. She knew she had to get into the pond to find her crystal, but she was not trilled with the idea. The water was murky, and she could not even see the bottom. With these concerns on her mind she absently added, "It was a present, and I need it back."

The man stood in a few moments of silence and watched as Sarah sat down on the raised edge of the pond,swinging her legs into the water. She also didn't like the idea of wading around in this pond with a complete stranger watching, but there was no other choice. Before she tried to stand up in the water, the man said, "I would not do that."

"And why not?" Sarah asked, not waiting for his reply. She pushed off of the ledge and tried to stand, but her feet never touched the bottom of the pond and she dropped down into the murky cold depths of its water. Panicing as she was fully submerged, Sarah kicked for the surface, and when she broke through the stranger's hand helped her to crawl out of the pond. "What the hell?" Sarah asked, looking back at the water. "It couldn't possibly be that deep."

"I tried to warn you. It was not a wise act. The water is too deep to find your crystal." The man said, trying to be nice as Sarah rung out her shirt.

"Well, maybe you should have said something sooner." Sarah said, not meaning to be so harsh but she could not hide her anger. She was soaked, and he could have at least prevented that. "How am I supposed to get back to the castle now without that crystal?"

"You live in the castle?" The man asked, his eyebrows rising with the idea. "What is your name?"

"I'm Sarah." Sarah replied in a huff. "And who do you think you are?"

"My name is Maxim, and I must get to that castle too." Maxim explained.

"Really? Well, that's unfortunate for you." Sarah said, looking back into the clouded water. The ripples from her little swim were already gone and the water was returned to its normal smooth surface. Then, shaking her head, she turned back to the man. "And I guess it's unfortunate for me, too."

"Do you live there alone?" Maxim, continued, ignoring her dripping clothes. He was curious about her, and did not hide it.

"No, it's Jareth's, The Goblin King." Sarah said, and then looked around the dry land. She had been distracted, but now remembered that she was looking for Hoggle. "I'm sorry, but I'm supposed to be looking for an old friend, and I don't have much time."

Sarah picked up her dress from the pond's wall and started away from the man, but he followed. "I could help you find your friend, if..."

"If what?" Sarah asked, turning back to the man and snapping, "What do you want from me?"

"Could you show me the way through the Labyrinth?" Maxim asked. The way he asked reminded her of when she was first given the challenge, and Sarah instantly felt bad for being so cruel.

"Yes, of course, but that crystal showed me how to get through. Without it, we just have to do it by ourselves." Sarah tried to explain. "Do you have thirteen hours to get through, because we should start right away, if so."

"No, no," Maxim said with a laugh. "I do not have a time limit. My journey has been several years to begin with, so a few minutes to see a friend will not bother me."

"Really? No time limit? Well, that would have been helpful the first time I had to go through the Labyrinth." Sarah mused aloud as she searched for Hoggle.

"You mean you made it through the Labyrinth before? Without the crystal?" Maxim asked.

"Yes, I had to find my brother...but that's not important now." Sarah said, trying to hold back the tears the memory brought. "Right now, I need to find my friend."

"Ah, well, if you are looking for Hoggle, he had a little cottage just beyond that tree, if I remember correctly." Maxim said, pointing straight ahead. He was right, and after seeing the little cottage, Sarah turned back to Maxim.

"How did you know I was looking for Hoggle?" Sarah asked, but Maxim's reply was cut off by a familiar voice.

"Sarah?" said the gruff voice, and Sarah turned to see Hoggle running as fast as his little legs could take him towards her. "Sarah!"

**AN: Okay, thanks for reading. Next post will be on 8/16/06! So, please review, or I'll be mean and just "forget" to post it. Mwah ha ha!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Well, here's the next post, as promised. Sometimes I read back on this and think, where is this all leading? And then I laugh, because I know exactly where it goes. But believe me, I didn't expect what I wrote. Anyway, thank you to all those who have reviewed and kept with me this long. Well, back to the story. Please read, enjoy, and review!**

Sarah fell to her knees with her arms outstretched as Hoggle ran towards her. He threw his arms around her neck and hugged her with all his might.

"Hoggle! I can't breath, stop!" Sarah gasped, his strength making her think twice about her decision. But she was happy to have her friend back in her arms.

"Oh, Sarah! I'd thought you'd never come back!" Hoggle said. After these words escaped his excited lips, he knew something was wrong. He pushed away from Sarah and looked at her, "Why did you come back? What did Jareth do to you now?"

"Nothing. I just...I missed you, and I needed to see you." Sarah said, trying to hide her discomfort from his questions.

"I missed you too, Sarah." Hoggle said shyly. He was about to say more, but he noticed that they were not alone. Hoggle's eyes grew wide. Sarah saw his expression and turned to see Maxim.

"Oh, Hoggle, this is Maxim." Sarah said. "I met him by the pond."

"Hello again, Hoggle." Maxim said, stepping forward and offering his hand. "It's nice to see that you haven't changed much."

"No, Sir, I haven't changed." Hoggle said, lowering his head. With curiosity, Sarah watched the exchange before her.

"Do you two know each other?" Sarah asked, looking back and forth between them both.

"We do." Maxim said with a satisfied voice. He then turned to Hoggle and said, "Now, Hoggle, you do not have to be formal with me. We are old acquaintances, don't you remember?"

"Yes, Sir...I mean, Maxim." Hoggle said, shuffling his feet. Before Sarah could inquire further to his odd behavior, Hoggle noticed the water dripping from her clothes. "Sarah, how did you get so wet?"

"I guess I took a little swim in the pond." Sarah said, trying to force a smile. But her good natured self could not stay strong, and Sarah was soon crying to her old friend. "Hoggle, everything has gone wrong."

"Oh, Sarah, don't cry." Hoggle said, returning to her embrace. "I'm sure that whatever happened, it ain't that bad."

Sarah could tell through her tears that he wished her to continue, but Maxim's company stopped her from doing so. Why was she feeling sorry for herself anyway? Didn't these two have just as many problems as her? But of course, they didn't have to return to Jareth.

"I'm sorry, Hoggle. I guess it's just that seeing you after so long and then being soaked in that pond has made me rather moody." Sarah said, wiping away her tears with an arm that was still wet. She noticed her damp state and decided that she could not stay that way for long. She looked down at the dress she had worn over her clothes that morning and said, "Hoggle, is there somewhere I can get changed out of these wet clothes?"

"Of course, Sarah. You can change in my house." Hoggle said, and set off to show her the way into his humble cottage. He opened the small door for her, and Sarah smiled gratefully as she bent down to enter it. Everything within the house was perfectly fitted for Hoggle. And while this was nice for him, it made it difficult for Sarah to move around. "You get changed. Me and...Maxim will wait outside."

Hoggle said this and then shut the door for her privacy. Sarah smiled as she unfurled her dress and looked around the cottage. She was standing in what she assumed to be his living room. There was only a chair sitting next to a small fireplace, but it looked cozy enough. The next room over was a small kitchen with an little table in the middle. And separating these two rooms was a small staircase that led to a loft where Hoggle apparently slept. If Sarah stood and reached up with her arms, she could touch to roof of the cottage.

Carefully, she pulled off her wet shirt and pulled on her dress. It was lucky for her that she had two sets of clothing on her this day, otherwise she'd be very uncomfortable for her journey back to the castle. She tried to pull off her jeans within the house, but got her foot stuck in the staircase banister. There was no way that she could pull off this maneuver without destroying Hoggle's home, so she opened the small door and ducked back outside. Maxim and Hoggle were standing over at the pond with their backs to her, and she took this opportunity to take off her jeans. Once fully changed, she joined them, folding the damp clothes as she walked.

"So, what have you two been talking about? Important things that I can't know?" Sarah asked. They both turned to her with surprise. While she had only been joking, she now knew that she had unwittingly spoken the truth.

"We have been catching up on current news." Maxim replied smoothly. Something about his tone of voice set off an alarm in her head. He was so familiar, but she couldn't place him. And then, to her displeasure, he added, "You look very beautiful in that dress. It is more fit for a Lady to wear that, than you were wearing earlier."

"Oh, well, if you really don't want me to know, you can just say so." Sarah said with unmeant hostility. She was angry at his sexist comment, but decided to ignore it completely. She could not understand why this man seemed to irk her so much.

"It's okay, Sarah." Hoggle said, walking away from Maxim towards her. "It's ain't nothing important. He was just telling me how you agreed to take him through the Labyrinth."

"Yeah, that." Sarah said, her eyes and thoughts returning to the crystal at the bottom of the pond. "Hoggle, Jareth gave me a crystal that showed me through the Labyrinth, but I lost it in the pond. I don't think I'll be able to get through it again without it."

"Course you can!" Hoggle said, dismissing her insecurity. "You've done it before, and there's no way you can't again."

"But I was younger, and more..." Sarah started, trying to voice her concerns.

"You can do it." Hoggle said in his gruff voice. "Now you's two better go if you want to get to the castle today. Let me get you something to put your wet clothes in and then you need to be off."

Hoggle dashed over to his cottage and returned promptly with a satchel for Sarah to use. As she stuffed her damp clothes into it, he started to usher Sarah and Maxim to the doors of the Labyrinth, but Sarah would not move. "Can't you come with us?"

"No, I gots ta say here." Hoggle said, trying to make her move.

"Nonsense, Hoggle. You were with me most of the time last time!" Sarah countered. "Come on, you know this thing better than anyone."

"True, but you ain't in danger this time. Jareth won't let you get hurt." Hoggle said.

"What? Why would you say that?" Sarah asked, shocked by his words.

"Never you's mind." Hoggle said. "Just be on your way."

The two massive doors opened before Sarah. Maxim stood beside her, ready to start their journey, but Sarah still did not want to go yet.

"Hoggle, I came all the way out here to see you, and we're hardly together for five minutes." Sarah complained.

"You can come see me some other day. Today you gots ta get Maxim to that castle." Hoggle said, winning the argument.

"Okay, but I'm coming back tomorrow." Sarah said with finality. She slung the satchel over her shoulder and then turned back to the Labyrinth. She walked through the doors and looked around. Her hurt ached to be back within its confining walls, especially without the crystal to help her, but she knew she promised to help Maxim. She turned to see where he was and saw that Maxim was standing outside the doors next to Hoggle. His face showed a look of concern, but it quickly faded. "Come on, Maxim. We should really start this thing."

Maxim nodded and stepped foot into the Labyrinth. A great roar came from the right passageway, and both Maxim and Sarah turned to the sound. Leaves and debris whipped past Sarah's head as a tremendous wind rushed down the corridor. The fear returned to Maxim's face and he turned to step out of the Labyrinth when the wind picked up its strength.

Sarah screamed as the tremendous wind knocked her off her feet. She thought that she would hit the ground with a thud, but instead, found herself being whisked down the left corridor. It was an amazing experience, like flying on your own, but it was also terrifying because Sarah knew the corridor did not end. Maxim had been picked up in the wind too, and they both were being carried down the passage, helpless to stop their journey.

"Hoggle! Help!" Sarah yelled, hoping that he could hear her voice over the gust of wind.

**AN: Next post should be 8/19/06, give or take a day. Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I'm so sorry that this took so long to post. I've been very sick and I didn't trust my editing skills for a while. But anyway, here's the next chapter. I'll try to get the next chapter up sometime next week. Well, thanks for sticking with me and on with the story! Hope you enjoy, and please make a sick girl feel better by reviewing!**

The forceful wind carried Sarah and Maxim down the corridor. Sarah screamed again as she felt something wrap around her waist. But before she could register what had done that, she saw Maxim fly past her. She stretched out her hands to him and caught one of his flailing arms. It felt as if their world had been turned on edge and they had been falling, but now that they were stationary, Sarah had time to catch her breath and think. She looked down at her waist and saw that a Lichen had wrapped itself around her. Surprised by its kindness, Sarah did not hear Hoggle's voice at first.

"Sarah, hold on! I'm gonna gets you help." Hoggle called to her from the doors of the Labyrinth. Sarah did not reply, but looked down at Maxim as he held onto her hand and tried to grab purchase of something else to steady himself from the wind.

"Don't worry, Maxim! I've got you!" Sarah yelled to him. He looked up briefly at her and smiled as best as he could.

"I feel safe within your hands." Maxim yelled up to her. Sarah's grip on his hand slipped momentarily, but he quickly caught on with his other hand. She could see that he tried to act brave, but the worry which crossed his features scared her.

"Sarah!" Hoggle yelled to her. "Are you still close?"

"Yeah, Hoggle. We didn't get blown too far!" Sarah yelled back, judging how far the wind had really taken them. She looked down the corridor, squinting her eyes against the wind, and she could see the outline of Hoggle's shadow. They had not traveled that far from the doors, after all.

"I'm gonna throws a rope to you!" Hoggle yelled, and promptly acted out his words. He threw a rope into the Labyrinth and the wind brought its length to Sarah's side.

"Maxim, you grab it first!" Sarah yelled, feeling that she could not hold him much longer.

"And you, a lady? Never!" Maxim exclaimed.

"Oh, just shut up and grab it or I'll drop you!" Sarah yelled. Maxim reluctantly, but quickly, followed her instructions. He let go of her hands and struggled up the rope past her.

Within a minute, Maxim was at the doors to the Labyrinth and Hoggle helped pull him out. When Maxim left the corridor, the wind stopped as abruptly as it had started. The Lichen let go of Sarah's waist and she fell to the ground with an "umph." She ran a hand through her hair and pulled out stray leaves while looking around the now calm passage.

"Sarah, are you okay?" Hoggle asked from the doors. Sarah looked herself over and knew that she was not hurt, just rattled.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Wait, I'll be right there." Sarah said, and stood up on wobbly legs. She walked back to the doors and saw Maxim and Hoggle waiting for her. They did not seemed surprised at what had just happened, and she wanted answers. "What just happened?"

"A strong wind picked us up off our feet and carried us down the corridor." Maxim replied bluntly, looking past her into the open doors of the Labyrinth. Sarah did not like his reply and turned to Hoggle.

"I was 'specting something like that." Hoggle said, shaking his head. Annoyed with the lack of clarity in both answers, Sarah threw up her hands.

"Oh, you were, were you? Well, it's nice that you let me know. Will one of you mind telling me what the hell this is all about? That never happened to me before." Sarah said in an overly exasperated manner.

"Well, it didn't exactly happen to you, did it? It happened to me." Maxim said calmly, still looking at the corridor that he had just escaped.

"Yeah, you're right." Sarah said. "Now, if you don't mind, why did it happen to you?"

"That is of no concern right now. Our priority is to figure out how to get past the wind." Maxim said, ignoring her agitated expression. Sarah looked down at the rope Hoggle had dropped by his feet and came up with a simple solution.

"I know what we can do." Sarah stated, working over the plan in her head. She did not even notice that her mind was working like it used too, like when she was first challenged with the Labyrinth.

"Really?" Maxim asked, finally looking at her. There was excitement both in his voice and expression. "What is your course of action?"

"I'll tell you after you tell me why that happened." Sarah said, smiling as Maxim's expression fell. "Why does the wind start up when you step into the Labyrinth, and not me?"

"That is a long an complicated story, My Lady." Maxim said, not willing to go any further.

"Well, you have all the time in the world since I'm not going to help you get to the Goblin King's castle until you explain." Sarah said, folding her arms across her chest to add finality to her point.

"Fine, I will answer your question as simply as possible. And maybe later I will tell you the rest." Maxim said, and then mimicked her by folding his arms too. "Is that satisfactory to you?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine." Sarah said, nodding her head. Her anger deflated as she uncrossed her arms, but with the last of her resolve she added, "Now explain."

Maxim turned Sarah around so that she could see the castle hiding behind the Labyrinth and he pointed to it. "That castle is mine, and so is all this land. Is that enough of an explanation for now?"

"What?" Sarah asked with a sudden intake of breath. She looked into Maxim's eyes, thinking that he was joking. "How can that be?"

"Your so called Goblin King is not the ordained ruler here, and I have come back to reclaim what is rightfully mine. The Labyrinth was not here when I ruled, and therefore, I can only assume that it was built to keep me out." Maxim explained quickly, and then turned to meet Sarah's eyes. "If you would like to know more, you must help me through the Labyrinth."

"Oh...Okay." Sarah said, caught off guard by his reasons. Thoughts raced through her mind, solidifying her impressions of Jareth being an evil ruler. But why was she so quick to judge Jareth and trust this man? She did not want to answer that at the moment, and after a short pause, Sarah shook her head and said, "Well, I guess we better start. Hoggle, give me that rope."

Hoggle obliged her. She took one end and handed it to Maxim, giving him his instructions. "It's obvious that the right corridor is the right way to the castle since the wind was trying to blow us away from it, and it's also the way I got to the castle during my first run of the Labyrinth. So, I'll going down it and find the first opening. Once I get there, I'll brace myself and call to you. When the wind starts to blow again, you'll just climb up the rope to me. Work for you?"

Maxim looked at her for a brief second and then nodded his head. Her plan was so simplistic, but it seemed plausible enough to work. "If you believe this will work, then I must trust you."

"Okay, good." Sarah said, and then thought of something else. She turned to Hoggle and said, "Hey, Hoggle, why don't you come along with me to help? I can probably hold the rope for Maxim by myself, but it would be safer for him if we were both holding it."

Hoggle looked at Sarah and then to Maxim. He shuffled his feet and then slowly nodded his head. "Course. I'd do anything for you, Sarah."

"Good, now come on." Sarah said, heading back into the Labyrinth with Hoggle by her side. She ran her hand down the outside wall as they walked, looking for an opening. It did not take long for her to find one. Without concerning herself if this was the right opening, she stepped into it. Maxim had been right, their first priority was to get him out of this corridor, everything else would have to wait. They would concern themselves with the small details when they came up. So she braced herself inside the opening and held the rope taunt. Seeing that Hoggle was set, Sarah yelled out to Maxim, "Okay, we're ready when you are!"

She knew as soon as he set foot inside the corridor because the roar started up again. Debris was being picked up and rushed past their opening as they felt Maxim's weight tug on the rope. Sarah grip on the rope slip a bit, but Hoggle helped hold on, and they waited as Maxim made his way to them.

After a while, Sarah wanted to look out of their opening to check on Maxim's progress, but couldn't risk being picked up by the wind. And what seemed like an eternity later, Maxim's hand reached into the opening. Sarah dropped the rope to grab him, and Hoggle quickly followed suit. Together, they made and easy job of helping pull Maxim into the opening. The wind died down as soon as Maxim was fully in the opening, and for a while, all three sat on the ground to catch their breath.

"Do you think we...should find...the opening across from...the worm?" Sarah asked in gasps of air, not thinking that she was the only one that knew of the kind worm. But Hoggle understood her words.

"Why bother?" Hoggle asked as he got to his feet. "The point is to find an opening, not the right one."

"What?" Sarah asked, standing up with the help of Maxim's gentle touch. "I don't get you."

"He means that this isn't really a maze. It's more of an obstacle course, the first obstacle is being able to find one of these hidden openings. And for me, there was the added wind." Maxim said with a slight smile. "But with your intelligence, we've made it past that and now we must travel on to the next challenge."

"Oh, well, as I remember, we come to a stone maze next." Sarah said, looking down both ways of the opening they were standing in.

"It is not the maze that will concern us, but the challenge that lies within it." Maxim said, letting Sarah choose for them to take the right-hand path. "Do you remember what the next challenge was that you came across?"

"Well, I remember getting completely turned around in the stone maze and then...then there were these two doors that I had to pick from." Sarah said, trying to remember her experience with better clarity. "One lied and one told the truth."

"Well, then that it what our next goal is." Maxim said and started to walk down the right path. "Onward to our next obstacle!"


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Another post, yay! Sorry that posts are taking longer to get up, but I don't seem to have much time to sit down an edit anymore. Anyway, thanks for all those who have reviewed so far and all of you who continue to read this. So, you should know the drill now. Please, read, enjoy, and review!**

The stone maze was just as Sarah remembered, aggravating and all the same. But with two more sets of eyes and the added companionship, Sarah did not mind their aimless journey. She was not set up against an impossible time limit and this made the Labyrinth seem more like a leisurely walk through a park than a terrified run through a trap.

"I can't believe I went through all this before." Sarah mused as she found another dead end.

"Yes, you said you had to run this under a time limit before." Maxim said by her side. "Why did you?"

"I was angry at my step-brother and foolishly wished him to be taken away by goblins." Sarah said with a nervous laugh. "I didn't know that it would really happen. If I did, I would never had said those mean words. It was my fault and I _needed _to get him back. I was a horrible teenager, I guess."

"Not at all. You are not the only one who has wished away a sibling. But you seem to be the only one who has actually retrieved them." Maxim said as they came upon another dead end. With a sigh, he said, "I see that Jareth has still not grown out of his games."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, curious about Maxim's past with the Goblin King. Jareth's past had never crossed her mind, but she realized that this Maxim might be able to give her insight to why this he tormented her so.

"When we were children, we used to play a game called Labyrinth and he always won." Maxim explained. "That is why I believe he built this place. He knew I'd never be able to get through it."

"All this to keep you out? I don't think he would go to these extremes." Sarah said, looking towards the castle. She could not get it out of her mind that Jareth had stolen the throne. When she looked back at Maxim, she finally saw the resemblance to Jareth within Maxim's face. His voice also had the same timbre of Jareth's and there were several other small similarities. But these were hard to find, at best. With these new observations, Sarah hesitantly asked, "So, you two are... brothers?"

"Yes." Maxim said with a nod of his head. "I am the eldest, and therefore, should be ruling. But Jareth was sly."

"What did he do?" Sarah asked. She looked down at the dry stone ground. Her shoes were covered with a fine yellow dust, and she noticed for the first time that the landscape seemed to be dying. Was this Jareth's doing also? "How did he take over?"

"That I will tell you at another time." Maxim said. His voice snapped with finality, so Sarah did not push him. But not wanting there to be silence between them, Maxim said, "Tell me about your family."

"I...they were good to me..." Sarah said, fumbling for her words.

"If they were good to you, then why did you leave them to come back here?" Maxim asked, watching her as she tried to answer. They had stopped their journey and stood looking at each other. Sarah had not wanted to discuss this in front of Hoggle, but he was no where in sight. With a sigh, she irrationally decided to trust the man that she had just met.

"They actually left me." Sarah said, shaking her head. Clarifying this statement, she continued, "They...died...in a car accident."

"And you blame yourself?" Maxim prodded gently.

"No, I know wasn't my fault. But I should have been with them..." Sarah said, feeling tears prick her eyes, "I should have died with them."

"Now Sarah, there is no reason to think that." Maxim said, giving her comforting words as she sat down on the dry stone ground. A puff of yellow dust stirred as she sat, and Maxim followed her example. He sat next to her and said, "Tell me what happened. I can see that this is effecting you greatly, and you should not keep it to yourself."

"Fine." Sarah said, swallowing hard. "It was stupid, really. I had come home from college for the weekend, unexpected. They had something planned that I didn't know about, a dinner or some kind of outing, and when I heard that, I just got so angry. They wanted me to come along, but I refused. They didn't time for me that weekend, and I was so selfish. I remember yelling, something like 'if they didn't care that I was home, then I would never visit them again.' And the ironic thing is," Sarah forced with a morbid laugh, "I never saw them again."

Sarah paused, looking at the ground, and then continued, "They were hit by a drunk driver, and all of them, even Toby, were..."

Maxim, trying to feel her pain, put an arm around her shoulder. "Sarah, you must trouble yourself over this. There was nothing you could do to prevent it, and no matter what words you used, they still loved you."

"I already know all of that, Maxim, but it still feels horrible." Sarah said. Maxim held her tighter, and Sarah finally realized how close he had actually gotten to her. Thoughts of what Jareth had implied the night before came to her and she pulled away from Maxim's embrace. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between them which was off by Hoggle's cry.

"Sarah, you gots ta come here! I found the doors." Hoggle yelled from close by. Sarah had momentarily forgetten that Hoggle was with them, and hearing his voice, she stood up quickly. Hoggle's rough voice was a welcome intrusion to her uncomfortable position.

"We'll be right there! Just keep yelling so we can find you!" Sarah yelled to an unseen Hoggle, and then turned to Maxim. "Come on, we're almost there."

The two of them ran towards Hoggle's voice, and soon, found the familiar pair of doors. The guards were cackling wildly at Hoggle, but he ignored their voices. He turned when he heard Sarah and Maxim approach and smiled. "There you are, Sarah."

"Hi, Hoggle. I guess we must have gotten separated." Sarah said, catching her breath. Maxim stepped up to the doors and inspected them.

"How does this work?" Maxim asked.

"One leads to the castle, and the other to, apparently, certain death." Sarah replied, keeping back from him. She did not want to give Maxim any ideas by being closer than necessary.

"But which one is which?" Maxim asked, and the bottom red guard quickly replied.

"We can't tell you. But they can." he said with a laugh as the two top guards appeared.

"You can only ask one of us." Said the top red guard.

"It's in the rules." Said the top blue guard. "One of us always tells the truth, and one of us always lies."

"See, I told you about this." Sarah said to Maxim. She looked over the guards and remembered something. "Wait a minute. I figured this out before, and I choose the blue door, which really was telling the truth. But the red guard just said that we can only ask one question, and the blue guard agreed. So, does that mean we can ask more than one question?"

"What are you trying to get at, Sarah?" Maxim asked, looking back at her.

"There's only one way to find out." Sarah said to herself and stepped up to the blue guard. "Can I ask more than one question?"

"Yep, I don't see why not." The top blue guard replied.

"Good, then this is the door that leads to the castle?" Sarah asked, knowing the answer.

"Yep, it is." The top blue guard said with added cheer.

"Then why did I end up in an obliette last time?"

"Maybe you should have jumped over the trap door last time." The bottom blue guard said, and then the top one added, "And anyway, you still got to the castle, didn't you?"

"Yes, I guess your right." She said, and then turned to Maxim and Hoggle. "Okay, then we go through this door and jump over the first tile, or we'll end up falling. Come on."

Sarah pushed open the door and made an example but jumping over the first slab of rock, and when she was sure that the trap door had been adverted, she motioned for them to follow. Hoggle came next and barely made it, but Sarah grabbed his hand at the last moment. Sure that her friend was safe, she looked up at Maxim.

He smiled weakly and then jumped over the first stone slab with ease. When he feet touched the ground, Sarah felt a rumble beneath the earth. With irritation, Sarah mumbled, "Not again."

The stone slabs beneath their feet began to shift, and Sarah could see cracks forming in the solid rocks. None of them seemed to want to move, but Sarah's yell broke their paralysis. "Run!"

Sarah pushed Maxim before them, and they began to run. Maxim's long legs took him ahead of them fast, but Sarah latched onto Hoggle, worried that her friend would fall behind. She took one brief glance behind her and saw that the stones were falling away. The ground that they had just been standing upon was now black emptiness.

Feeling that they were not moving fast enough, Sarah swept Hoggle into her arms. She was older now, stronger too, and Hoggle only weight the amount of a toddler...the weight of Toby. Tears swam in Sarah's eyes as she continued down the stone corridor, evading the certain death that laid behind her.

Maxim reached the end of the passage, and immediately, the ground became docile. Sarah stopped running, and walked the rest of the way to Maxim's side. Her breath was just as labored as his but it was not only from the run. She noticed that Hoggle had snaked his short arms around her neck and was hugging her tight. She laughed as she let him down, and Hoggle would not look her in the eye out of embarrassment.

Decided not to mention Hoggle's actions anymore, Sarah turned to Maxim with a new concern. "Uh, Maxim, I never took that passage before, so I have no idea where we are."

"Then we will see." Maxim said. It was unanimous that they would not discuss their recent escape from death, and it was forgotten with ease. Maxim looked around what appeared to be a hedge maze and then turned to Sarah, "You have never been here before?"

"Well, I was in the hedge part before, but not this section." Sarah said, walking around and inspecting the hedges.

"Do you remember what the next challenge was?" Maxim asked as they started their course through the hedges.

"Um...we met a weird old man, then I saved Ludo, and then there were two more doors, but I don't remember ever really being challenged." Sarah said honestly.

"That doesn't seem like Jareth to me. He wouldn't give up this far into the game." Maxim said while stifling a yawn. "It seems to me that we will not be able to reach the castle until tomorrow."

"What?" Sarah asked with sudden dismay. "You mean we have to stay in the Labyrinth at night?"

"Yes, most likely. But don't fear, I will build us a fire to keep warm and find a good place to make camp." Maxim said, pulling ahead of Sarah and Hoggle.

"Hoggle, Jareth warned me about staying in the Labyrinth after nightfall." Sarah said out of earshot of Maxim. She was concerned, but did not want to alert him of this just yet. "Do you think he was only joking?"

"I hope so, Sarah." Hoggle said, but his voice did not convince her.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Well, here's another post. We're coming close to the end, but there's at least four more posts (I might combine the last two). I just want to thank all those who have reviewed so far. I love readin them all. And all questions will be answered soon, so fret not. Don't you just love foreshadowing? Anyway, you know the drill. Please, read, enjoy, and review!**

Jareth walked to the window of his throne room and looked out onto his vast Labyrinth. He had not seen Sarah all day, but he knew she was in the Labyrinth. Even though he could watch her through his crystals, he did not want to. The first time she had made her journey, it had been interesting since they were technically fighting each other, but he was not bored enough to watch her socialize with her friends. What concerned him though was the setting sun.

He had warned Sarah to be back before dark, but she purposefully defied him. While a part of him wanted to go in search of her, another wanted her to suffer for her defiance.

Jareth shook his head and decided that he would find her tomorrow. Stepping back from the window, he turned to the throne room and looked over the goblins with a sigh. Thoughts of Sarah breeched his mind again, and a smirk crept onto his face.

She would learn her lesson.

* * *

"I suggest we stop here for the night." Maxim said in the middle of a garden. They had been traipsing around the hedge maze for a long time, and while they did not stumble upon the wiseman, they did find a small garden filled with rose bushes and fruit trees. The area reminded Sarah of Alice in Wonderland and this did not sit well with her. 

"We're painting the roses red." Sarah said as she gently touched a white rose. Maxim looked at her but did not ask for an explanation. Instead, he checked the fruit trees.

"We can have a humble dinner of fruit and then catch some sleep." Maxim said, picking a peach from the one tree. He was about to take a bite when Sarah and Hoggle saw.

"Don't!" They both yelled, shocking Maxim into dropping the peach.

"What is wrong?" Maxim asked, bending over to pick up the peach again.

"It would be better not to eat that." Sarah tried to explain. "I had a bad experience that came from eating a peach from the Labyrinth once."

"Really? Well, then I will take you word." Maxim said, walking farther into the garden. "There are benches over here. They might make a suitable place to sleep."

"Listen, Maxim," Sarah said, following him over to the benches, "I might as well tell you, Jareth warned me about being in the Labyrinth after dark."

"Why would he do that?" Maxim asked, not worried by Sarah's tone.

"He didn't tell me anything except that I shouldn't be here in the dark." Sarah said, noticing the Maxim was not taking her seriously. "I'm just trying to tell you that it might be dangerous."

"Don't fear, Sarah." Maxim said. He reached into his jacket and unsheathed a rather sharp dagger. "I am armed, and if we build a fire, I will keep watch and insure your safety."

"But the Labyrinth is not always easy, you should know that." Sarah tried to explain, but Maxim seemed to be convinced that he could handle what would come. Deciding to leave him to his delusions, Sarah sat down on one of the benches. It felt like she had walked miles and her legs were burning. Maxim sat down next to her, and she promptly inched away from him.

"What happened with the peach?" Maxim asked.

"The peach?" Sarah asked. Hoggle approached them and sat on a bench next to theirs. He watched them in silence as Sarah explained. "Oh, well, Jareth tricked me into eating a peach and it did something funny to me. I forgot who I was and I had this strange hallucination."

"Hallucination? What was it of?" Maxim asked. She didn't understand why he would ask her such pointless questions, but since he was not willing to tell her about himself, she obliged.

"I was in a beautiful gown and I was walking through a ball. Everyone had masks on, I think they were pretending to be goblins." Sarah said, trying to remember everything. She thought it would be hard to conjure up these images, but it was fresh within her mind. "The room was white but it was filled with color, and Jareth was there. We danced...and..."

Sarah had looked over at Maxim and saw that he had paled significantly. Maxim turned to her and asked, "What was he wearing?"

"Jareth? Uh...something blue, and his hair sorta matched it. Why?" Sarah asked, puzzled by his odd question.

"He shared that memory with you..." Maxim said, trailing off into his thoughts. "Why would he do that?"

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked, alarmed with what she heard. "Maxim?"

Maxim turned to her and seemed to just notice that she was sitting next to him. "The masquerade ball, the one with everyone pretending to be goblins, that really happened."

"Maxim, speak some sense to me." Sarah said. He was still pale and she looked over to Hoggle for help. But Hoggle would not meet Sarah's eyes, and she realized that he knew the reason for Maxim's displeasure.

"The Masquerade was a trick. That was when Jareth banished me from my kingdom and took over. But why would he share that memory with you?" Maxim asked, looking at Sarah, searching for an answer.

"I...I don't know." Sarah said, shaking her head and falling into a thoughtful silence.

"You know, Sarah, Hoggle tells me that when children are wished away they turn into goblins within thirteen hours." Maxim said, breaking her thoughts.

"Yes, that's why I had to save my brother, Toby." Sarah said, looking down at her feet.

"When I ruled, children that were wished away by unloving people lived in my kingdom, but they did not turn into goblins." Maxim said. Sarah's eyes snapped up to him and saw that he had regained some of his color.

"Wait, then why do they turn into goblins now?" Sarah asked.

"That is Jareth's pwn doing." Maxim replied with a cold snap.

"That monster! How can he do that to those poor kids?" Sarah asked. She turned her eyes back to Hoggle, but he had wandered back through the fruit trees, away from them.

"What concerns more than his deeds are your loyalties to him." Maxim said, shocking Sarah.

"Loyalties? What loyalties do I have to him?" She asked with anger.

"He trusts you enough to give you one of his crystals. And he brought you to the Underground to live within his castle. Now why would he do that?" Maxim asked, looking into Sarah's eyes for the truth.

"I don't know. I have no easy explanation for any of his actions." Sarah said, shaking her head.

"I must believe you, because that is the only choice I have right now. But you must realize that when I reach my castle, you must give your loyalties to me." With Maxim's words, Sarah realized what she was doing. She was leading this man to Jareth to usurp him, and Sarah could not help but to laugh at the prospect. After all the pain that he had inflicted upon her, she would have her revenge. But did Jareth really ever hurt her?

"You have my loyalties, Maxim." Sarah said.

* * *

Maxim built a fire with the help of Hoggle while Sarah searched the garden for fruit, other than peaches. The sky darkened as they sat around the fire, eating apples. She was not sure if the apples would have the same effect as the peach did, but both Hoggle and Maxim seemed to think they wouldn't. And indeed, there was no reaction. 

Finished with their makeshift meal, Sarah stood with the intention of retiring to one of the benches, but something was off. She turned to look at the benches that stood behind her, but could not see them. They had been engulfed by the black velvet of the appoarching night. Even looking up to the sky, Sarah could not see any stars, nor a moon. Something was terribly wrong.

"Maxim, it's too dark out here." Sarah said with a quiver in her voice. She turned to look at Maxim, and could barely see him in the encroaching darkness. But she was still able to make out a faint hint of worry upon the part of his face not hidden by shadow.

"It is, My Lady." Maxim said, his voice wavering. "Stay close to the light of the fire."

Sarah nodded and returned to the fire's side, but as she watched the flames, she noticed that they were not as bright as they once were. "Maxim, what's happening?"

But when Sarah looked up, neither Maxim or Hoggle were in sight. Her breathing became tense, knowing that he friends were lost somewhere in the darkness, and she returned her gaze to the flames. There were only the smoldering ashes of the fire to keep her company.

And slowly, those embers winked out in the suffocating darkness.

**AN: Hello again. We're so close to the end...yet, I'm curious. Anyone have any guesses as to what will happen?**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: I'm so sorry about this long delay. Work seems to be draining the very life from me. Please don't hate me! I'll make this quick, but thank you for all the reviews so far. I loved hearing what you thought would happen next, and I hope you haven't forgotten what has happened up to this point. Anyway, please read, enjoy, and review!**

Sarah felt the black night engulf her. She could not see anything, and even more unnerving, could not hear a sound. But foolishly, she hoped that the others could hear her quivering voice. "Maxim? Hoggle?"

She strained to listen, but only heard a faint whisper. Or was that her imagination? She stood up from where she had been sitting next to the fire, and heard leaves crunch under her feet. The sound was impossibly loud, and she almost screamed. But Sarah knew she had to keep calm. She held out her hands and stumbled around in the darkness, in search of her friends, but immediately lost her bearings.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah could have sworn she saw something. But it was just her nerves...it had to be, that's it. She just needed to stay calm for... how long was night in the Labyrinth? Sarah inwardly kicked herself for not heeding Jareth's warning.

A streak of red rushed past her, and this time Sarah knew that she had not seen things. Her heart jumped as her breath quickened. There was no sound around her but she could feel that something was close. It was large but moved with impossible stealth.

There! She saw the flash of red again, and this time there were two of them, and Sarah had a sinking suspicion that they were...eyes.

"Maxim!" Sarah yelled, not able to hold back her fear any longer. She knew now that she was just prey to this beast, and that it was playing with her. "Hoggle! Where are you?"

This time, Sarah knew she heard a reply. It had been very weak and mumbled, but she understood it completely. The voice had said, "Don't speak."

But why? She didn't want to be by herself, she wanted to find her friends. The flash of red crossed her vision again and she was assured that it was a pair of eyes. Sarah backed away from them and into something else. She let out a scream, but laughed when she realized that she had only backed into a bench. But her scream had attracted attention and the pair of burning red eyes turned to face her.

Sarah's breath labored heavily as the eyes slowly approached her. She had no where to go and had no idea what to do. Her breath seemed too loud so she held it. Her heart pound so strong that it beat in her ears, and yet, the eyes continued getting closer. A cry tried to rise up out of her throat, but she heard the strangled whisper again.

"Don't make a sound." the faint whisper said, "They can hear you."

This precaution did nothing but make Sarah want to panic more. But to her relief, the eyes had turned to the sound of the whisper, and seemed to forget that she was there. Though its hearing was excellent, its attention span seemed short.

Taking advantage of the small diversion Sarah tried to take a step away from the bench. She promptly walked into a bush and attracted the attention of the eyes again. The wild darting of the red eyes made Sarah think that the monster probably had little sight, but this was obviously made up for by other senses.

It came closer, and Sarah knew that it would not be diverted again. She closed her eyes against the red glowing ones, and prayed it would not find her. Surprisingly, the darkness created by closing her eyes seemed to be brighter than the black of the Labyrinth night, but Sarah took little comfort in that.

A gasp escaped Sarah's lips as a pair of arms slid around her waist. Her eyes opened and she saw the red orbs were no more than a foot from her face. She could see its dark crimson pupils as she felt the beast's hot breath. It was unmistakably huge, and hungry.

But the arms around her tightened, giving her a bit of hope. It had to be Maxim, he had found her somehow in the darkness. Her back was pushed up to his chest, and she could feel his heartbeat. It was remarkably calm.

The eyes stared at her a moment longer, and then turned away. The beast had either heard something else or had completely lost interest in her. But Sarah knew that it had found her. It knew she was there, but why did it not attack?

The arms around her loosened, and Sarah turned in them. She threw her arms around her rescuer and buried her face within his chest. His hand run through her hair, and she felt completely at ease. Fatigue rushed over her as she felt a cold medal pendant brush against her face. Stunned, she pushed herself away from her rescuer and tried to remember something. It was something important, but she couldn't keep her thoughts straight. She was so tired.

Sarah felt her legs drain of energy, and she fell to her knees. The ground seemed so comfortable, and she was so tired. Her eyelids drooped as she laid her head to the ground. And soon, all thoughts of the red eyed horror left her.

Sarah fell asleep in the silent black garden.

* * *

"Sarah!" a rough voice said while shaking her. "Sarah, wake up!" 

Sarah's eyes opened to see Hoggle standing over her. She brushed him away, trying to remember where she was, and then it all came rushing back to her. She was in the Labyrinth.

She was now fully awake and she noticed that it was light out. The sun had risen sometime during her sleep. But as Sarah looked around, she noticed the absence of Maxim. What could have happened to him?

The red eyed beast!

Sarah jumped to her feet, almost knocking Hoggle over and asked, "Where's Maxim? Is he alright?"

"Well, yes and no." Hoggle said, regaining his balance.

"Hoggle, don't talk in riddle, you sound like Jareth. Where is he?" Sarah yelled.

"Don't get so worked up!" Hoggle said with exasperation. "He's over laying down on one of those benches."

Sarah didn't wait for another word as she rushed over to Maxim. As she came closer, she saw that there was blood on his shirt, and a yelp escaped her lips. Maxim's eyes flew open at this sound and he sat up. "There you are, Sarah. And how was your night?"

"Stop with the sarcasm. What happened to you?" Sarah asked, looking at his shirt.

"Oh, this?" Maxim said, casually pulling at his shirt so that Sarah could see the claw marks scratched across it. Underneath the shirt, Sarah could see that he had several long cuts on his torso. "That red eyed devil swiped its claws at me."

"I can see. Are you alright?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, yes. I'm only scratched. But I'm lucky." Maxim said, standing up. He pointed to the grounds around the burnt out fire and said, "I gave it quite a fight though."

Sarah could see large track marks in the kicked up earth and felt her head get light. The monster must have been huge, but it had not tried to harm her. And then she remembered her rescuer. Her eyes shot back to Maxim's chest, but it was as she had suspected. He was not wearing a pendant.

"Well, would you like some fruit for breakfast before we start our journey again?" Maxim asked lightly.

"No, I think I've lost my appetite." Sarah said, looking back at the tracks. She was starting to have second thoughts about her loyalties, but Jareth's treason overlapped them.

* * *

The three continued through the hedge maze, but did not come across the set of doors with the ugly knockers. Sarah had changed out of her dress and into her dry clothes while Hoggle and Maxim had a quick breakfast, and was happy with her decision even if Maxim protested. He still seemed to think she shouldn't be wearing pants. But she ignored this, like usual. 

Hoggle was leading them now, and soon they left behind the hedges and came into a clearing. Sarah looked around the open space and shivered as she looked upon a stone shaped as Jareth's face. It was almost like he was watching her.

"Why, there you are Sarah." A smooth voice said from behind her. Sarah jumped, and turned around, coming face to face with Jareth. "You seemed shocked to see me in my own Labyrinth. Now, why is that?"

Sarah tried to replied, but her mind raced. She was leading Maxim to the castle, but did he know? Was he just toying with her like a cat with a mouse?

"Nevermind." Jareth said, stepping closer to her. "I thought I warned you about staying in my Labyrinth after nightfall, but I guess you're too old to listen to my silly rules."

"Leave her alone, Jareth." came Maxim's voice from Sarah's side. Jareth's eyes left Sarah and at once grew large.

"Maxim?" Jareth said, with what seemed like horror. But Sarah did not think that was possible, not from the Goblin King.

"Yes, Jareth. How have you been?" Maxim asked, just as coolly as Jareth could. "King of Goblins now, I hear. Isn't that sadly ironic?"

"How did you get in here?" Jareth asked, ignoring his quip.

"Sarah has been leading me through the Labyrinth." Maxim replied. Jareth's eyes lit upon Sarah, and she could feel herself wanting to shrink away. His mismatched eyes bore into her soul with intense hatred. Her eyes avoided his, but only ended up upon the pendant strung around Jareth's neck.

"Oh, she has, has she?" Jareth asked, regaining his normal nonchalant manner. "And I assume she will help you battle me also."

"I have her loyalty." Maxim replied, putting another nail into Sarah's coffin.

"Jareth, I..." Sarah started, but was cut off by a sharp flick of Jareth's hand. She could see the anger burning in his eyes, and something within her wanted to cry.

"We'll see how far you get without her help then." Jareth said with a sly smirk. He produced a crystal from behind his back and threw it at Sarah.

Sarah closed her eyes and held her arms up to shield herself, but did not feel the crystal hit her. When she opened her eyes in confusion, her breath caught in her throat.

Around her, was a softly lit room that she had never stepped foot in before. Maxim and Hoggle were no where in sight, and it took no time for her to realize that this was either an oubliette, or a sort of purgatory.

**AN:** **Just three more chapters to go. I will desperately try to edit them before...Christmas? J/K, I'm going to try and do it right now, but I'm not promising anything.**


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